Am I overreacting?

youenjoymyself

Last night, one of our dogs snarled and snapped at my daughter.  DD went to pet her, and the dog reacted in a not very pleasant way.  I told my husband the dog has to go because I'm not willing to take the chance that there could be a next time, let alone risking a much more dangerous encounter with DD or with another child.  Am I spazzing out way too much about this, or am I right for being so concerned?  In my mind, it's a no brainer - dog's got to go. 

youenjoymyself

Dog wasn't eating; she wasn't really doing anything but sitting there.  She (the dog) is normally very good and very protective of us, but she does show agression towards other dogs and strangers.  Thank goodness she didn't bite DD, but I just don't want to take any unnecessary chances.  Maybe I am overreacting.

stephrodgers07

If she's never shown any sort of aggression before I wouldn't get rid of her. Maybe there was something you just didn't spot that happened that made her react like that. I know my DS has started getting rough with my dog (pulling his hair, climbing over him) and I'm just keeping a better watch on the dog. Maybe just keep an eye and not get rid of your dog.

runningyogimama

One of our normally gentle dogs growled at DD when she woke him up once when she first started getting more mobile--she had startled him. If it's something that's alarming to you, I would look into a trainer before getting rid of the dog.

lars1226

I agree that if this is the first time, look into training or it could even be a temporary medical thing like a UTI or something making her not feel well. We had a trainer come to our house for a 2 hour session because our dog is afraid of everything and I worried about her being around the baby. Our dog has also growled at DS when she was resting and he got too close to her bed, I had a similar oh hell no dog reaction at first but now I'm teaching DS to stay away from her bed and make sure the dog has her own safe space away from grabby little hands whenever she needs it.

Mrs.Castaldi

Agree with maybe training & making sure LO wasn't being to rough. It's the only way a dog can really express that they don't want to be messed with right now.

am7rice

DS scared or dog and the dog pounced on DS. Never bit him but he claws went into his cheek and he ended up getting stitches. Our dog has never went after anyone bit anyone. But for now we keep them separated until DS can understand to be gentle w her. I would never think twice ab getting rid of our dog. She is part of our family.

Jbunny100

We have 2 dogs both large.  One is pretty old and is sick with cancer and arthritis.  DS got close to her sore areas and she growled a warning growl.  She has always been very sweet with kids.  I know that she was just warning DS to stay clear.  It seemed to work because DS doesn't mess with her too much.  He instead climbs all over our other dog who doesn't care one bit. 

Definitely look into training.  We had a great dog trainer come out while I was still pregnant to teach us some tricks with ensuring our dogs are comfortable around the baby and we know how to handle them.

Also, ditto some PP that mentioned play time for dogs.  My DH travels every week for work thus leaving me to take care of dog play time along with DS.  I totally notice that our gentler dog gets restless and wants to play rough when the baby is around.  Now I make it a point to spend more time playing with him. 

Your reaction was justified, but don't make any rash decisions.  The dog is a family member too.

jamu

I understand where you are coming from, wanting to protect your daughter, but I'd say yes. One of our dogs is permanently grumpy and snappy and we really have to watch him around the baby and it sucks. But he is a family member too. Is your dog older or maybe not so social? Ours is and I find sometimes he just wants to be left alone and a baby is too much for him when he gets like this. I make sure he has a place to 'escape' to when this happens so it doesn't come to growling/snappiness. Like an open bedroom with a blanket he can lay on and a toy. I'd definitely let her redeem herself- a new baby is a lot of adjusting for a dog.

youenjoymyself

Thanks for the feedback, ladies.  I think I was definitely overreacting to the whole situation.  I feel much better about it now that I've had time to "cool off."  My daughter is still and will always be my first priority, but the dog deserves her own space, just like the rest of us

PinkandLove77

Last November my MIL got a new puppy after putting down their 9 year old with cancer. They needed to fill the void so quickly. The new puppy hadn't been socialized normally and as time went on we found that she was just "different." She was afraid of EVERYTHING. She'd bark at everything and NOT stop. She was not trainable after several vet visits and classes. And she sent their smaller cockapoo to the Vet ER twice after a fight. And she was aggressive toward the neighbor's dogs too.

The day she snapped at my SIL, was the day before she ended up getting put down. Later that night, she did it again and almost clipped SIL's face. The next morning she was still "off." 

We found out she had neurological issues and seizures. So between the fear, the aggression towards dogs and people, and the cockapoo living in segregation, they decided to put her down at 13 months old. They assumed no one else would want her. And wasn't worth the risk being around my son, etc. 

ericaann413

We have a big and a little dog. The big kind of makes me nervous so I watch her closely when my son is around her. She was scared of him at first but now she lets him pet (slap) her and pull her hair. However, she has large paws, and when she wants to be pet she slaps at us, well she tries that with Charlie, so he has been smacked by her. Also, the licking. Both dogs are always licking him and it drives me crazy. Then he tries to lick them.

The little dog growled at him once, she was sleeping and he was pulling her. Normally she just lets it happen, I think she enjoys the attention. But he startled her and she growled. She has an underbite and can't grip well so I am not worried about her bites.

Jbunny100

ericaann413 said:

Also, the licking. Both dogs are always licking him and it drives me crazy. Then he tries to lick them.

LOL!  This cracks me up with the licking.  DS has taken to carrying things in his mouth as he moves around the room.  They really do pick up habits from their 4 legged family members.

RibbitGrl930

Jbunny100 said:

ericaann413 said:

Also, the licking. Both dogs are always licking him and it drives me crazy. Then he tries to lick them.

LOL!  This cracks me up with the licking.  DS has taken to carrying things in his mouth as he moves around the room.  They really do pick up habits from their 4 legged family members.

OMG, that is adorable!